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Searing Steaks

Question - when cooking steaks, I am having trouble getting my temp up to 700 degress.... I feel as though I am using enough lump as I am using the recommended but I just cannot seem to get the temp up as high as I would like.

^^^What Stike said. To get that hot I have to remove the daisy wheel and have the bottom vent open wide too. It gets up to around 600* with the daisy wheel on but wide open. The temps starts climbing pretty fast once I remove the daisy wheel so I'd suggest you don't walk away while you are waiting.

Yes, what they said. If you have enough air getting through the bottom vent, through the holes in the charcoal grate, through the burning lump, and out a wide open top, you will have no problem getting to temp. That's really all there is to it. The main cause I believe its clogged holes in the charcoal grate because it its harder for people to see and check. If necessary get a coat hanger and poke up through the bottom vent to open them up. Also make sure the large opening in the fire box is lined up with the bottom vent.

I had some issues getting my egg to a high temp. I changed my gasket, thing was destroyed and the original piece of junk that BGE gives with eggs and it now heats up very quick and I can easily pin the needle to top temp on egg thermometer.

Purchased my large and medium egg last summer and use only BGE charcoal. Large for home and medium for camping. Fill large to top of fire ring and slide daisy wheel full open with bottom vent full open along with screen. Temp should top out. If the grate under charcoal is clear of ashes there should be no problem. I have trouble with high heat if my screen is closed.

I think the most common problem for "can't get it up to temp" is poor air flow. Make sure your fire box vents and fire grate are not clogged, choking the air flow. If that's not the problem, more air may still be a solution. Put a fan in front of the bottom vent. I saw a cheap but effective looking fireplace bellows on clearance at Target today...was tempted to buy one, but really didn't need it. When I cheat, I use an electric fan mounted in a box that sits against the bottom vent.

Yet, unless you just like to brag about being able to get your grill up to 700 (and who doesn't, BTW), another option is to not even worry about getting the Egg up to high temps - someone gave me the advice to get a smaller grid & just place it directly over the coals, and once I tried it, I never looked back!!! >-

After I sear both sides (about 60 seconds each), I then remove the steak, put my favorite rub on, wrap in foil, take the small grid out & replace w/ the stock grid, and wait for the Egg to get to my roasting temp (usually about 350 or so). Then I put the steaks back on & let them cook to the desired internal temp (I like mine med rare, ~125 or so).

Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee

What size grate do you use for searing near the lump? What size would work good for a large egg? Seems like a great method as you can get the egg down to roasting temps faster. Thinking about it, I guess the size of the grate depends on where you fill the lump up to.

Gato, if you don't have a grate and what to try HHT instructions, just get the lump to a total rip roaring red hot state then drop your steak right on top of the lump to sear. You may/may not pick up a few tiny pieces of lump...If you do use a pastry brush to knock them off. Wrap in foil and then follow what HHT says.

I have a 13" grate like Bowhunr, except mine's not cast iron, and I also don't use the spider - I just place it right on top of the coals.

And Austin Egghead brought up yet another idea by placing the steak on the coals w/out any grate - I think some folks are hesitant to try that, but if ya think about it, that's the way they used to cook meat before the invention of the grate (the way the cavemen did it)

Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee

How to you lower the temperature of the egg fast after the searing? Close both the intake and daisy wheel completely? or almost completely?

I tried this method but failed to wash the new cast iron grate. I don't know if it was the reason, but the steak had a really bad taste. I will give it another try after washing and seasoning the grate.

The only thing I have to add to this is make sure you are totally cleaned out inside and try using larger chunks of lump when going for high temps. If you dump in the last 1/4 of your bag you are essentially filling all your airflow spaces up with shake and dust. This will kill your airflow and not allow you to blast through those high temps. Until you really get comfortable, try to not use any lump smaller than a 1/2 deck of cards. This is strictly for airflow (big pieces have larger airways in between). And I set mine in by hand on important cooks (low and slow or blast furnace for searing and pizza). I don't pay much attn to it on regular cooks like grilling or roasting for an hour or 2. Also, I would use all fresh lump on cooks that you really want to go high on. You can mix and match old and new lump later when you get the hang of it.

I promise that if you use larger pieces of fresh lump up to the top of the firebox in a clean egg, you'll be much more worried about flashbacks than getting up to temp.